Automatic controlling apparatus for steam-heating systems.



P. F. GOGGIN (in E. H. GOLD. I AUTOMATIG CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS.

APPLIQATIOH FILED JULY 15,1910.

1,021,505. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. F. COGGIN & E. H. GOLD.

AUTOMATIG CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS.

I I APPLIOATION FILED JULY 15,1910. 1,02 1,505 Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N TE STATES rArENroFFios.

Image. coeem, or m'rawim, NEW JERSEY, AND EGBEB'I n. GOLD, or rumors.

cmcaeo,

K AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR STEAM-RATING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M31- 26, 1912- Appllcationfiled .Tu1y'15, 1910. Serial No. 572,144.

, zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Cont-rolling A aratus for Steam-Heating Systems, of

, LW 1011 the following'is a. specification.

Our invention relates to automatic controlling apparatus for steamheating systems and'the invention has for its object to provide a formof controlling apparatus, suitable particularly for controlling the flowof steam from the train pipe into the 'radiatingjsystem or systems in'carheating,

apparatus, 1n which the control is automatically determined bytemperature conditions in the car or apartment to be heated, andj whichemploys steam pressure taken from the supply pipe to -move thecontrolling valve.

So far as we are aware, prior to this invention, no means forautomatically controlling steam supply in accordance with temperatureconditions has been-devised which has been successfully appliedtoheating systems for railway cars. It has been proposed to useelectro-magnetic apparatus for this purpose, but the constant vibrationto which the car and all in it is subjected, has prevented suchapparatuses from being successful. It has also been proposed to utilizc,in connection with a thermostat, compressed air taken from the, airbrake system for furnishing power for moving the steam valve. But, ofcoursefthis arrangement is open to the objection that a supply ofcompressed air is not always available. It is not available, forexample, when the cars are laid up under steam in a station or storageyard.

The invention has for further objects the several novel constructions,arrangements and devices in controlling apparatus for steam heatingsystems whichwill be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary somewhatdiagrammatic cross sectional view of a railway car showing the generalarrangement of the apparatus of our invention. Fig. 2 a front elevationof the thermostatic device and its associated parts. Fig. 3 a sectionalview taken on l ine 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of thearrows. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve apparatus,shown on a somewhat than that of Figs. 2 and 3.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figuresof the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the side wall of a railway car,B the floor thereof, C the steam train pipe, E, E, E

a supply pipe leading from the train pipe system shown, is arranged atthe end of the discharge pipe K of the radiator F.

1 The thermostatic device I is preferably constructed as follows, itbeing understood that the preferred constructions and arrangement ofparts shown and described might be modified in certain respects whichwill be obvious to those skilled in the steam heating art: Athermostatic member 10 is larger scale provided consisting preferably ofa vessel with flexible walls partly filled with a fluid which readilyexpands and contracts in accordance with changes in temperature. Forexample, either may be used, the vessel being partly filled with theether, after which the air is exhausted from the vessel. Thethermostatic member, so formed, is supported within a grill casing 11which is secured to the flange 12.0f a vessel 13 secured to the sidewall A of the car, as shown, the grill casing being provided preferablywith brackets 14 on which said thermostatic member rests. Against thefront side of the thermostatic member 10 bears a screw 15 which isthreaded through a nipple 16 on the grill casing, the screw having thesquared portion 17 to which is secured the pointer. 18, andibeingprefe'rably provided made in accordance with the temperature scaleon the face of the grill casing (Fig. 2). The back ofthe thermostaticmember 10 bears against a button 20 intervening between saidthermostatic member and :1 diaphragm 21 which forms the front side ofthe vessel 13. The vessel 13 is filled with a non-freezing relatively'non-compressible body of fluid 22 and communicates by a pipe 23, whichmay be run through the woodwork forming the side wall of the car, with avessel 24 (Fig. 4) forming a part of the steam valve apparatus.

The steam valve, and the associated devices by means of which it isopened and closed, are shown in a preferred form of construction andarrangement in Fig. 4. A valve casing 25 is provided having a tap 26 forsupply pipe section E and a tap 27 for pipe section E The interior ofthe easing is divided by a web 28 in which is the steam port 29,controlled by the main or steam valve 30. The latter has a stem 31 towhich is secured, by the nut 32, a diaphragm 33 which iscircumferentially secured to casing 25 by the bonnet 34, constituting apressure chamber 35 above the diaphragm. The valve 30 and its stem 31are formed with a central passage way 36 which is closed by an auxiliaryvalve 37 seating against the under side of valve 30; the passage waybeing preferably enlarged at its upper end to receive the guiding wings38 of the stem 39 of auxiliary valve 37 and a coiled spring 40 whichbears against said wings. A coiled spring 41 is interposed be-v tweenthe stem 31 of the main valve and the top of bonnet 34. The stem 39 ofthe auxiliary valve extends through a port 42 in the top of the bonnet34 and carries slidably on its upper reduced end 43 the valve 44 adaptedto close port 42; the valve being preferably provided with stuffing box45. Stem 43 passes through a stuffing box 46 on the top of the cap pieceor dome 47 which is threaded on a boss 48 on the upper side of bonnet 34and a coiled spring 49 is interposed between valve 44 and cap piece 47.A discharge pipe 50 leads from the cap piece 47. The stem 43 bearsagainst, and is preferably secured to a diaphragm 51 which forms thebottom of vessel 24, described as being in communication with the vessel22 against which the thermostatic member 10 bears. The vessel 24 may besupported on cap piece 47, by means of the bracket 52.

The operation of the controlling apparatus, above described, is asfollows: With a proper initial adjustment of the several operative partsof the apparatus, the pointer 18 of the thermostatic device may be setat any desired point on the temperature scale and the temperature of thecar will be automatically maintained at that point. Suppose thethermostatic device to be so set, if

the temperature begins to rise, the thermostatic member 10 will expandand press diaphragm 21 inwardly against the body of transmitting fluid22 in vessels 13 and 24, causing diaphragm 51 to be depressed andauxiliary valve 37, which is rigidly connected with dia hragm '51 bymeans of its stem 39, 43, to e unseated. This permits steam from thesupply pipe E to pass up through the hollow stem of main valve 30, thevalve 30, of course, being at this time unseated, so that the radiator Fis receiving steam from the train pipe. The steam passing through thehollow stem of the main steam valve enters the pressure chamber andequalizes the pressure on opposite sides of diaphragm 33 so that spring41 moves valve 30 to its closing position to shut off further inflow ofsteam to the radiator. When the auxiliaryvalve 37, is opened thedepression ofmember 39, 43 allows spring 49 to seat valve 44 and closethe outlet port 42 in the top of the pressure chamber 35. Valve 37remains open so that pressure is equalized on opposite sides ofdiaphragm 33 the main valve 30 being kept closed until the thermostaticmember 10, by contracting, decreases its pressure on diaphragm 21,whereupon the steam pressure under valve 30 will cause it to be openedagain, the pressure in pressure chamber 35 having been relieved by theopening of relief valve 44. By this construction of controllingapparatus, power is always available for moving the controlling valve solong as there is any steam to be controlled.

As various modifications in the form, construction and arrangement ofthe parts comprising our apparatus will readily suggest themselves tothose skilled in this art, we do not limit ourselves to theseparticularsexcept so far as the same are made limitations on certain ofthe claims herein.

We claim:

1. Controlling apparatus for steam heating systems comprising incombination a main steam valve having a steam passage way therethrough,an auxiliary valve to control said passage way, a pressure chambercommunicating with said steam passage way and constructed so that thepressure therein actuates the movement of said main valve, a thermostatand an inclosed body of pressure transmitting fluid which is substawtially non-expansible at ordinary temperatures operatively interposedbetween said thermostat and said auxiliary valve.

2. Controlling apparatus fhr steam heating systems comprising incombination a main steam valve having a steam passage way therethrough,an auxiliary valve to control said passage way, a pressure chambercommunicating with said steam passage way and constructed so that thepressure therein actuates the movement of said main valve,athermostatwhich governs said auxiliary valve, and a relief valve for said .mainsteam valve having a steam passage therethrough, a diaphragm whichcarries said main valve, means constituting apressure chamber adjacentsaid diaphragm which communicates with said steam passage way, anauxiliary valvecontrolling said passage way, a reliefvalve for saidpressure chamber which closes when the auxiliar valve opens andviceversa, and means or opening and closing said auxiliary valve.

4. Controlling apparatus for steam heating systems comprising incombination a main steam valve having a steam passage therethrough, adiaphragm which carries said main valve, means constit'uting'a pressurechamber adjacent said diaphragm which communicates with said steampassage way, an auxiliary valve controlling said passage way,a reliefvalve, for said pressure chamber which closes when the auxiliar valveopens and vice versa, and means or opening .and closing said auxiliavalve comprisin a thermostat locate in the apartment eated by saidradiator.

5. Controlling apparatus for steam heating systems comprising incombination a main steam valve having a steam passage therethrough, adiaphragm which carries said main valve, means constituting a pressurechamber adjacent said diaphragm which communicates with said steampassage way, an auxiliary valve controlling said passage way, a reliefvalve vfor said pressure chamber which closes when the auxiliary valveopens and vice versa, means for openin and closing said auxiliar valvecomprlsing a thermostat located in the apartment eated by said radiator,and an inclosed body of prwmsure transmitting fluid which issubstantially nonexpansible at ordinary temperatures interposed betweensaid thermostat and said auxiliary valve.

6. Controlling-apparatus for steam heating systems comprising incombination a valve casing provided with an inlet port and an outletort, a main valve which controls the flow o steam from the inlet port tothe outlet port, said valve formed wlth a steam pas' sage way, anauxiliary valve which controls ,said passage way, a diaphragm extendingacross the interior of said casing on the outlet side and constituting apressure chamber which communicates with said steam passage way in themain valve, a relief valve for sai pressure chamber which closes whensaid auxiliary valve opens and vice versa, a thermostat and meansmclosing I same, a valve casing interposed in a substantiallynon-compressible liquid, said means comprising two diaphragms, againstone of which the thermostat o the other of which said auxill operativelyconnected. A p

7. Controlling apparatus for steam heatsystems comprising in combinationa va ve casing provided with an inlet port and an outlet port, a mainvalve which controls the flow of steam from the inlet port to the ryvalve is outlet port, said valve formed with a steam passage way, anauxiliary valve whichcontrols said passage way, a diaphragm extendingacross the interior of said casing on the outlet side and constituting apresusre chamber which communicates with said steam passage way'in themain valve, a relief valve for said pressure chamber which closes whensaid auxiliary valve opens and vice versa, a thermostat and meanslnclosing a substantially non-compressible liquid, said means.comprising two diaphragms, against one of which the thermostat operates,with the other ofwhich said auxiliar valve is operatively connected,said incloslng means comprising two vessels communicating by a pipe.

8'. The combination with of a thermostat located in said car, a radiatorin said car, a steam supply pipe for the said supply pi e, a mainvalve-which controls the flow o steam through said casing, said valveformed with a steam passageway therethrough, a diaphragm on which saidvalve a railway. car,

rates, with is carried and which forms with said casing a pressurechamber communicating with said steam passage way, an auxiliary valveprovided with a stem, which valve controls said steam passage way in themain valve, a relief valve for said pressure chamber on the stem of saidauxiliar valve, said relief valve adapted to open when the auxiliaryvalve closes and 'vice versa, a vessel comprising a diaphragm to whichthe stem of said auxiliary valve is secured, a vessel comprising adiaphragm against which said thermostat acts, and a pipe connecting saidvessels, said vessels and pipe being filled with a substantiallynon-compressible fluid.

9. Controlling apparatus for steam heating systems comprisin incombination a main valve provided with a port extending through thesame, a diaphragm supporting the main valve, an auxiliary valvecontrolling the port in the main valve, means con- 'stltutlng a pressurechamber on one side of said diaphragm, a thermostat provided with amovable member in the apartment heated, an inclosed body of fluidsubstantially nonexpansible atordinary temperatures interposed betweenthe movable member of the thermostat and' said auxiliary valve so as totransmit motion from one to the other.

10. Controlling apparatus for steam heating systems comprising incombination a valve casing provided with an inlet port and an outletport, a main valve which controls the flow of steam from the inlet portto the 5 outlet port, a diaphragm extending across the interior of saidcasing on the outlet side and constituting a pressure chamber, meansconstituting a steam passageway adapted to put the pressure chamber incommunication 10 with the inlet side of the valve casing, an

auxiliary valve which controls said passageway, a relief valve for thepressure chamber which opens when the auxiliary valve closes, and viceversa, and means for controlling 15 the movements of the auxiliary valvecom- [SEAL] prising a thermostat, and means inclosing a substantiallynon-compressible liquid, said means comprising two diaphragms againstone of which the thermostat operates and wlth the other of which saidauxiliary valve 20 is operatively connected.

FRANK F. COGGIN. EGBERT H. GOLD.

Witnesses to signature of F. F.'C.:

M. J. SHERIDAN, JULIUS GOLDBERG.

Witnesses to signature of E. H. G.:

G. Y. SKINNER, H. L.-PECK.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,021,505, grantedMarch 26, 1912, upon the application of Frank F. Coggin, of Matav'van,New J ersey, and Egbert H. Gold, of Chicago, Illinois, for animprovement in Automatic Controlling Apparatus for Steam-HeatingSystems, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 1, line 92, for the word either read ether;and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Otlice.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April, D., 1912.

C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

ing systems comprising in combination a valve casing provided with aninlet port and an outlet port, a main valve which controls the flow ofsteam from the inlet port to the 5 outlet port, a diaphragm extendingacross the interior of said casing on the outlet side and constituting apressure chamber, means constituting a steam passageway adapted to putthe pressure chamber in communication 10 with the inlet side of thevalve casing, an

auxiliary valve which controls said passageway, a relief valve for thepressure chamber which opens when the auxiliary valve closes, and viceversa, and means for controlling 15 the movements of the auxiliary valvecom- [SEAL] prising a thermostat, and means inclosing a substantiallynon-compressible liquid, said means comprising two diaphragms againstone of which the thermostat operates and wlth the other of which saidauxiliary valve 20 is operatively connected.

FRANK F. COGGIN. EGBERT H. GOLD.

Witnesses to signature of F. F.'C.:

M. J. SHERIDAN, JULIUS GOLDBERG.

Witnesses to signature of E. H. G.:

G. Y. SKINNER, H. L.-PECK.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,021,505, grantedMarch 26, 1912, upon the application of Frank F. Coggin, of Matav'van,New J ersey, and Egbert H. Gold, of Chicago, Illinois, for animprovement in Automatic Controlling Apparatus for Steam-HeatingSystems, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 1, line 92, for the word either read ether;and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Otlice.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April, D., 1912.

C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,021,505, grantedMarch 26, 1912, upon the application of Frank F. Coggin, of Matawan, NewJ ersey, and Egbert H. Gold, of Chicago, Illinois, for an improvement inAutomatic Controlling Apparatus for steam-Heating Systems, an errorappears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows:Page 1, line 92, for the word either read ether, and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April, A. D., 1912.

[SEAL] C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Gammissz'mwr of Patents.

